Photo: Jordano53 · CC BY-SA 4.0In Independence Township, 89% of adult citizens voted for president in 2024, more than across Michigan
Independence Township’s town government spent $35.1 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, about $958 per resident.
What stands out about how Independence Township is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
About $958 per resident a year, or $2.62 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 26%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$857 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar towns
Independence Township’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($857 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 24 Michigan towns and townships of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $772, and the middle half spent $545–$1,023. Independence Township spent more than 62% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($6 million), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Michigan towns and townships of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Independence Township itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 11% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Independence Township reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $857 · 2023: $958.
full-time in March 2025, up from 93 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $4,291 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.12% of the home’s value, vs 1.25% across Michigan.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Independence Township’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.
Tax bills are one input to Independence Township’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Independence Township →
Who’s in charge in Independence Township
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Independence Township’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on twp.independence.mi.us ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 385 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2023 finance file (36,612).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Clarkston Community School District
Independence Township’s K–12 school district, shared with Village of Clarkston, Springfield Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $18,773 per pupil, $11,795 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
Michigan districts overall: 34% local, 57% state, 9% federal.
Lake Orion Community Schools · $16,801 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Independence Township voted in 2024
Official results for Independence Township’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican58.5%14,346 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat40.2%9,861 votesOthers: 1.4% (336 votes).
Most votes in Independence Township: Donald J Trump
Oakland County: Harris 54.3%, Trump 43.7% · Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%
of Independence Township’s 27,581 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Michigan: 74%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Mike RogersRepublican56.8%
Elissa SlotkinDemocrat41.4%Most votes in Independence Township: Mike Rogers
Oakland County: Slotkin 54.8%, Rogers 42.7% · Michigan: Slotkin 48.6%, Rogers 48.3%
Most votes in the district: Lisa McClain
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Independence Township, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independence Township | 58.5% | 40.2% | 1.4% | 24,543 |
| Oakland County | 43.7% | 54.3% | 1.9% | 772,145 |
| Michigan | 49.7% | 48.3% | 2.0% | 5,664,186 |
Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017; Elissa Slotkin: U.S. House portrait (congress-legislators project); Mike Rogers: U.S. House portrait (congress-legislators project). All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Independence Township.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: twp.independence.mi.us ↗
- 2Michigan HouseState representatives
- 3Michigan SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Michigan
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Independence Township compares with the towns next door
Independence Township spent $857 per resident in 2022; the 5 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $454 to $1,898. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Brandon Township | $454 | $4,378 |
| Springfield Township | $577 | $4,160 |
| Orion Township | $746 | $4,359 |
| Waterford Township | $952 | $2,722 |
| Auburn Hills | $1,898 | $2,941 |
| Independence Township | $857 | $4,291 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Independence Township’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Independence Township’s government
How much does Independence Township spend per resident?
About $958 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $857 was more than 62% of 24 Michigan towns and townships of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Independence Township?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,291 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.12% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.25% across Michigan. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see twp.independence.mi.us.
Who runs Independence Township’s government?
See twp.independence.mi.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Independence Township yet.
How did Independence Township vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 58.5%, Kamala D Harris 40.2% (24,543 votes, official results). Oakland County: Harris 54.3%, Trump 43.7%. Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%.
How many people work for Independence Township?
95 full-time and 37 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $747,892 (about $9.0M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Independence Township in the state legislature?
Independence Township is split among 2 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The Michigan Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Independence Township’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →